This invention relates to a tilting mechanism for an outboard drive unit, and more particularly to an improved tilt locking and holding mechanism which employs a single operating lever for operating both a lock arm that selectively retains the drive unit in a tilted down position and a holder arm that holds the drive unit in a tilted up position when desired.
An outboard drive unit, which may comprise an outboard motor or the outboard drive portion of an inboard/outboard drive, typically employs an arrangement for supporting the drive unit for pivotal movement about a generally horizontally extending tilt axis. This pivotal movement is provided to adjust the trim of the drive unit to suit varied running conditions, as well as to tilt up the drive unit to an out-of-the-water position for servicing, storage, trailering or the like. It is also conventional practice to employ some form of mechanical locking and holding mechanism to maintain the outboard drive unit in the tilted down position under normal running conditions and to hold the outboard drive in its tilted up position when desired.
One such mechanism employs a lock arm which is supported on a swivel bracket of the drive unit and is adapted to releasably engage a pin on the clamp bracket of the drive unit. A holder arm is also pivotally supported on the swivel bracket and is engagable with holder portions formed on the clamp bracket for holding the outboard drive unit in a partially or fully tilted up state. A pair of operating levers are also provided, one for engaging and disengaging the lock arm, and the other for effecting movement of the holder arm between an engaged and disengaged position. Although this type of mechanism is generally satisfactory, the use of different operating levers for the locking and holding functions makes adjustment of the drive unit more complicated.
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an improved tilting mechanism for an outboard drive unit which includes a tilt locking and holding mechanism, both of which are operated by a single operating lever.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved tilting mechanism for an outboard drive unit that is simple and easy to use in connection with tilting the outboard drive unit yet highly effective.